Glossary B Flashcards
cut made on a tree trunk or branch, opposite from and toward the notch, face cut, or undercut, to complete felling or branch removal (contrast with bore cut).
back cut
process whereby electricity is fed back into and re-energizes distribution lines, usually from a home generator. Voltage can be modified if it passes through a transformer.
back feed
process whereby water (that may contain pesticides, fertilizers, or other contanminants) is fed back into source pipes or mains through a hose connection or into a water source suxh as a stream, pond or lake from equipment drawing water from that source.
back flow
device (often required by law) to prevent back flow by means of an air gap or one-way valve.
back flow preventer
1) soil or amended soil used to fill the hole when planting a tree. 2) soil, common fill, aggregates, or contaminants in various combinations put back into an excavation. May not be hospitable for tree root growth and function.
backfill
single-celled organisms having a cell wall but no organized nucleus. A few species are plant pathogens.
bacteria
pesticides that are used to kill or inhibit bacteria in plants or soil.
bactericides
in rigging, a technique for lowering a tree limb without allowing either end to drop.
balance
rigging sling(s), usually with at least one spliced eye and a Prusik to position the load line. Used to rig a tree limb in a balanced configuration.
balancer
tree or other plant dug and removed from the ground for replanting, with the roots and soil wrapped in burlap or a burlap-like fabric (contrast with bare root, container grown, containerized, and in-ground fabric-bag grown; compare with ball and burlap).
balled and burlapped (B&B)
dangerous condition created when a tree or branch splits upward vertically from the back cut, slab up.
barber chair
tree or other plant removed from the ground for re-planting without soil around the roots. (Contrast with balled and burlapped, container grown, containerized, and in-ground fabric-bag grown). 2) the harvesting or transplanting of a tree or other plant without soil around the roots.
bare root
protective outer covering of branches and stems that arises from the cork cambium.
bark
cutting away torn or injured bark to leave a cleanly cut edge.
bark tracing
a chemical and anatomical barrier formed by the cambium present at the time of wounding in response to wounding. Inhibits the spread of decay into xylem tissue formed after the time of wounding. Wall 4 in the CODIT model. (contrast with reaction zone)
barrier zone
application of herbicides, usually mixed with penetrating oil, to the lowest 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) of the main stem(s) of unwanted vegetation.
basal bark application
decay of the lower trunk, trunk flare, or buttress roots. Also called butt rot.
basal rot
detailed visual inspection of a tree and surrounding site that may include the use of simple tools. It requires that a tree risk assessor walk completely around the tree trunk looking at the site, aboveground roots, trunks, and branches.
basic assessment
Device, often relying on balls or rollers, to reduce friction between mechanical parts such as a wheel, or a pulley sheave and an axle, or a shaft and case connecting rod (contrast with bushing)
bearing
an auxiliary attachment point on a block or pulley, usually 180 degrees from the main attachment, that is used to reeve the rigging line in a set of blocks.
becket
knot commonly used to join two ends of a piece of tubular webbing to create a loop (see water knot).
beer knot
common name given to some insects of the Coleoptera order
Beetle
means of securing or slowing a climbing line by using wraps around a cleat, carabiner, or other device.
belay
piece of equipment used to provide friction for belaying a climber.
Belay device
type of knot used to join two rope ends together (contrast with hitch)
bend
radius of an object around which a line passes.
bend radius
radius of an object around which a line passes.
bend radius
ratio of the diameter of a branch, sheave, or other object to the diameter of the rope that is wrapped around it.
bend ratio
a turning, bending or twisting force exerted by a lever, defined as the force (acting perpendicular to the lever) multiplied by the length of the lever (see moment).
bending moment
maximum fiber stress wood incurs just before it cracks or breaks when force is applied laterally.
bending strength
insects and other organisms that promote plant health or assist in the control of pest populations.
beneficial organisms
a wall or mound of dirt that directs, diverts, or holds water; screens objectionable views or reduces objectionable noise; or provides additiona rooting volume for trees or other plants.
berm
best management practices (BMP)
best-available, industry-recognized courses of action, in consideration of the benefits and limitations, based on scientific research and current knowledge.
best management practices (BMP)
half hitch(es), typically two or more, added to other knots for additional security. Also called “finishing with a half hitch.”
better half hitch
plant living two years. Usually grows vegetatively the first year, then flowers and fruits the second year (compare to annual and perennial)
biennial
natural division of a branch or stem into two or more stems or parts.
bifurcation
curve or arc in a rope between the working end and the standing part
bight
capable of being broken down by natural, organic processes and reabsorbed into the environment
biodegradable
biological diversity in an environment as indicated by number of different species of plants and animals.
biodiversity
method of managing plant pests or weeds through the use of natural predators, parasites, or pathogens
biological control
tree biomechanics- the study of action of forces on living trees
biomechanics
management product or pesticide formulated from naturally occurring plant extracts, microbes, or microbial by-products that poses very low risk to nontarget organisms and has limited environmental persistence
biorational control product
pesticide formulated from naturally occurring plant extracts, microbes, or microbial byproducts that poses very low risk to nontarget organisms. (2) pesticide that has limited environmental persistence and poses very low risk to nontarget organisms.
biorational pesticide
pertaining to living organisms
biotic
a living organism capable of causing disease
biotic agent
disorder caused by a living organism (contrast with abiotic disorder)
biotic disorder
double pinnate (contrast with palmate and pinnate)
bipinnate
expanded body of a leaf. (2) sharp, cutting part of a tool
blade
friction knot climbers use, sometimes in place of the tautline hitch or Prusik knot
Blake’s hitch
flow of sap from plant wounds, injuries, or pathogen invasion. (2) flow of blood from a human or animal wound
bleeding
mix of slow-release and soluble fertilizers, with the percentage of water-insoluble nitrogen (WIN) listed on the label
blended fertilizer (fertiliser, in British English)
any disease or disorder, regardless of the causal agent, that kills young plant tissues.
blight
heavy-duty pulley used in rigging. Designed for dynamic loading. (2) casing enclosing one or more parallel pulleys
block
system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift or pull heavy loads.
block and tackle
method of using an arborist block to rig down trunk sections (contrast with butt-hitching). In some countries, to remove a trunk by cutting and dropping small pieces at a time
blocking
method of ascending a tree using a climbing rope.
body-thrust
main trunk of a tree below the branches, usually used in reference to a tall tree whose first branch is high off the ground.
bole
1) post on which wraps can be taken with a rope to tie it off or to provide friction for control. 2) a sturdy post used to protect vulnerable areas or objects from vehicles
bollard
1) lag- or machine-threaded cable anchor or bracing rod; used with a nut and washer in supplement support systems in trees. 2) a machine-threaded fastener used with a nut and washer in various equipment or structures.
bolt
conductor that connects a tree support cable or metal conduit to a lightning protection system.
bonding conductor
art of pruning and managing tree growth through root pruning to maintain a miniature size.
bonsai
long, movable arm of an aerial device or crane
boom
a section of a transmission or pipeline right-of-way that extends from the wire or pipe zone to the right-of-way edge. The border zone is managed to promote a low-growing plant community of forbs, tall shrubs, and low-growing trees below a specified height (e.g., 25 ft or 7.5 m).
border zone
using the tip of a chain saw to cut into or through the middle of a piece of wood. Back-cut technique in which the hinge is established by plunge cutting through the stem, then cutting back away from
bore cut
pesticides derived from plants
botanical pesticide
compounds (pesticides, oils, etc.) made from plants.
botanicals
loop knot used to form single or double endline loop(s) in a rope, often to attach items to the rope.
bowline
knot used to form two loops in the standing part of a rope.
bowline on a bight
tree cabling system that forms closed polygons. Used to join together more than three stems (contrast with direct cable system and triangular cable system).
box cable system
installation of metal rods through portions of a tree for supplemental support.
bracing
metal rod used to support weak sections or crotches of a tree.
bracing rod
the fruiting body of a decay fungus (see conk).
bracket
modified leaf,usually growing just below the flower petals.
bract
rope construction in which the strands are woven together in a diagonal pattern (contrast with 3-strand rope)
braided rope
stem arising from a larger stem. A subdominant stem. Pith in true branches has no connection to the parent stem.
branch
the angle, typically less than 90 degrees, formed in the union between stem and branch
branch angle
orientation and distribution of branches along a trunk
branch arrangement
raised strip of bark at the top of a branch union, where the growth and expansion of the trunk or parent stem and adjoining branch push the bark into a ridge
branch bark ridge
area where a branch joins another branch or trunk that is created by the overlapping vascular tissues from both the branch and the trunk. Typically enlarged at the base of the branch.
branch collar
chemically and physically modified tissue within the trunk or parent branch at the base of a smaller, subordinate branch that retards the spread of discoloration and decay from the subordinate stem into the trunk or parent branch.
branch protection zone
natural, gradual reduction in the diameter of a branch from its point of origin to the tip (see taper)
branch taper
point where a branch originates from the trunk or another branch. Fork. Crotch.
branch union
force at which a new piece of equipment or rope fails under a static load.
breaking strength
method to repair a semi-girdled to completely girdled trunk in which scion wood is grafted above and below the trunk injury to reconnect the trunk vascular cambium.
bridge graft
fertilizer over the soil surface (contrast with drill-hole fertilization and liquid fertilization)
broadcast fertilization (fertilisation, in British English)
fungal wood rot characterized by the breakdown of cellulose. Contrast with soft rot and white rot
brown rot
term describing the brown appearance of dead foliage, usually following the application of herbicide.
brownout
in the United Kingdom, industry-developed recommendations for tree work. National consensus standards of practice for tree work (see BSI)
BS3998, Tree Work. Recommendations.
in the United Kingdom, industry-developed, national consensus standards of practice for trees in relation to construction
BS5387, Guide for Trees in Relation to Construction
acronym for British Standards Institution
BSI
strap used in tree climbing, often employed for ascending trees with climbing spurs. Similar to a work-positioning lanyard
buck strap
cutting of a tree trunk or log into shorter, manageable sections
bucking
small lateral or terminal protuberance on the stem of a plant that may develop into a flower or shoot. Undeveloped flower or shoot containing a meristematic growing point.
bud
vascular connection extending from the base of latent buds inward to near the pith. Grows in length with each annual increment and appears as a thin, continuous line when viewed in longitudinal section.
bud trace
ability of a soil to maintain (i.e., resist change in) its pH.
buffering capacity
mass of soil per unit volume. Often used as a measure of compaction
bulk density
large diameter rope used in rigging.
bull rope
simple hitch commonly used to attach a line to a piece of hardware.
buntline hitch
an abnormal swelling of a tree trunk characterized by swirling wood grain and meristematic tissue. Wood with these structures is prized for woodworking (contrast with gall)
burl (burr, in British English)
strong, coarsely woven cloth made from fibers of jute, flax, or hemp. (2) a burlaplike fabric made of synthetic fibers. Both are used for containing soil in a root ball (ee balled and burlapped)
burlap
metallic tube or lining, without moving parts, to reduce friction between mechanical parts such as a pulley sheave and an axle; also the nonrotating sheave used to increase the bend radius for the sling attachment (contrast with bearing). 2) a device, often made of rubber or plastic, to reduce vibration or wear between mechanical parts. 3) a fitting used to connect plumbing parts of different diameters (such as in spray equipment).
bushing
decay of the lower trunk, trunk flare, or buttress roots. See crown rot.
butt rot
knot that can be used to form a loop in the standing part of a line.
butterfly knot
method of lowering pieces when the rigging point is below the work, traditionally without the use of a block. Contrast with blocking
butt-hitching
roots at the trunk base that help support the tree and equalize mechanical stress
buttress roots
tying off a limb at the butt (larger) end for rigging
butt-tying
a tool that pushes a sharpened blade through a small-diamoeter stem, past an unsharpened hooked or curved blade. Also called secateurs, pruning shears, or hand pruners (contrast with anvil-type pruning tool).
bypass pruner
